The gears of life

This morning while driving, I was intrigued by a common, or should I say a normal occurrence.

The picture below is what I am talking about.

I am sure most of us if not all, have been exposed to the gears of an automatic vehicle. Being it a big truck, a sedan, a saloon or even a motorcycle.

I observed with keen interest the engineering thought that went into designing such a masterpiece which I am sure most of us might have taken for granted largely because it has become part of our lives.

The gear in question typically has the following information or instructions:

P – for Parking

R – for Reversing

N – for Neutral and

D – Driving

Some of the cars have additional gear information for;

L (1 or 2)

A careful observation led me to appreciate what each of the above instructions means and how they contribute to the efficient performance of the vehicle. Misuse of any can be disastrous not only to the vehicle but to the driver, occupants and other stakeholders, be it directly or indirectly.

Interestingly, the functionality of the gears drew my mind to how our lives and businesses can be engineered or related to how the gears behave.

While on our journey in the quest to attain status, achieve an aim, overcome an obstacle, accomplish a dream, etc., there comes a time you would have to engage one of the above-mentioned gears.

There are times that you would have to Park – this is to allow you to focus, reflect, re-tool, re-energize, re-strategize, re-position, take a stand, etc. Parking sometimes appears as a waste of time, but the truth is we need it at some point in our lives.

There comes a time in our lives that we have to Reverse – a reverse is basically a complete change of direction or action. Our ability to change direction, action, or inaction is critical to our growth. I dare say that no matter how far you have gone, no matter how much time or other resources you have invested, there is the need to reverse if things are not going the way they should.

Do not see reverse as delay or distractions. Great nations, companies and individuals have employed this ‘gear’ to their benefit.

There comes the state of being Neutral – That state when no ‘gear’ of our life is engaged. A state where though the engines of our lives (our senses, our organs, etc.) are working, we must take a pause. It is important that we distinguish between Parking and Neutral. Park is when the engine stops, and the vehicle does not move, whereas, in a Neutral state, the vehicle can move depending on where the car is located – the case of a sloppy location.

The ultimate desire for all of us to see progress in every aspect of our lives hence the D for Drive – This is presumably the ideal state where we cruise without limits, speed without looking at the speedometer, twist and turn at will, wave at colleagues and all.

However sweet we savour this stage, it comes with responsibility, care, and discipline as many have done the excesses resulting in life-threatening circumstances and sometimes death!

On the broad road of life, we are tempted to be careless, trusting in our ‘vehicles’ (our lives, business, money, fame, etc.) until the unfortunate happens. The good news is once we can do things in manageable moderation, taking into account the many people who depend on us, look up to us, believe in us, etc., we will be guided on how we engage our gear of life to D.

Lastly, for some of us, our lives and businesses are the L – (1 and 2) gear. This is the state of caution, early but beautiful beginnings, extreme care married to patience and focus.

As we have been advised, we do not test the depth of a river with both feet.

The understanding I gleaned from this is that, when starting a project or on a mission, do not be overwhelmed with the task; think small when making progress but think BIG when making plans. Our ability to master this stage of the gear propels us into the level of mastery, confidence, maturity, and all that comes with it.

My mantra for any and everything that appears small or not working is ‘Slow motion is better than no motion.’

Choose the right gear to engage at the right time and know when to change it when need be.

Happy driving, folks!

Shalom